Slow Spinning Redemption
by Needless To Say
Summary: With an innate soft heart, she aided an adversary. He was cynical, believing “The end justify the means.” How can she reply back that what he believed doesn’t justify her means? ItachiHinata
1. Chapter 1

Slow Spinning Redemption 

Summary: With an innate soft heart, she aided an adversary. He was cynical, believing "The end justify the means." How can she reply back that what he believed don't justify her means? ItachiHinata

Disclaimer: If I own Naruto… probably, I won't be writing a fic.

Chapter I: The perception of a fallen one 

Darkness succumbed the hollow firmament with an eerie resonance of flustered wings as the man went through deeper in the verdant foliage, which incessantly giggled as the breeze played with them. The moon shone more appealing than the brightest of sun, emitting a mild, gentle yet vivid radiance to lead. His knees were getting weak thus he clung from trunk to trunk momentarily and dragged his almost limp body. He had a little of bruises, mainly on his arms though not visible because of the cloak reaching from his chin down to his feet. The red cloud prints were supplemented and adorned as well with his painstaking crimson blood leaking from the deep cut he recently received. He clutched it underneath his right rib firmly just to stop its progress. To make it more difficult, he had lost an immense chakra to haste his movements.

"If you had not dare done your rough scheme, you should've lived for more years and…" He spoke of his treacherous subordinate with scorn and contempt, and then panted as he continued his rough steps towards the nearby waterfall his ears perceived. "Tasted a fast… painless death."

Flashback

The insipid-face man stopped the progress of their group's subject- the jinchuuruku from Konoha. The kid was tougher, better from before, and it was undeniable that he had a hard time to get a hold of him. On the other hand, his superior was roughly consuming his chakra along with the intense 'Mangekyo sharingan', which any jounin couldn't handle even for a short span of time. However, that silver-haired man wasn't an ordinary shinobi; he was a difficult opponent to handle with. He could've been a major asset if he joined the Akatsuki.

He was standing on a branch of the tree, observing, and was planning to do his next move towards his opponent until Jiraiya jumped and charged at him with a ball of chakra on his right hand in a swift pace. "Rasenggan!" He was caught in surprise. Lucky for him, he was fast as well and eluded the attack as he shifted his weight on his left foot and would eventually leapt a short distance however... As a foot almost touched the surface, he felt a presence behind.

The massive tree acquired an immense gaping hole and soon ruptured. As soon as the tree plummeted on the ground, he twisted to evade the sudden attack and to jump, but to no avail. His subordinate granted him a sudden assault of his precious Samihade. "Tch!" He was intervened. "What the!" In complain, he muttered. Holding onto another branch, his left eye was impulsively closed and he was almost to fall back, losing his balance. There was a slice from his right rib reaching his side. Another pattern presented on his cloak. His crimson blood.

His former opponent was appalled while the latter laughed out loud like a maniac. "Hahaha! Finally! This is what I wanted in the first place!" He dashed to finish off his head.

"What the?" The bruised lad witnessed this kind of face-to-face betrayal ship and was more confused. "They were partners, aren't they?" Sweat glided on his temple.

He patted the wound. Blood adhered on his index finger. The color was the same as his forbidden eyes. Memories winding up. Blood. Ah, he felt alive with a surging pain he felt on his abdomen. Expressionless, he slid through the finger on his lips. Metallic. "Well in the first place, you're born with an odd face that I desire to cut through and see what is on the insides." Swirling the three spots on his bloodshot eyes, dancing and forming into a new sculpt. A shuriken. And he would use Mangekyo Sharingan nevertheless. The taste had provoked him to imply a tortured soul until the very end, until his very breath. "But I guess… I had seen much… much more." A devilish smirk he imparted to haunt him along his journey to the gates of hell.

But whatever the recent happening, it was an advantage for the nins of Konoha.

End of flashback

"Anyway, you have no importance with me…" More lucid the gushing sound he heard as if it was enticing to come to her closer and find her nevertheless. Even the breeze altered and had been boisterous to vex his disfavored situation. "But oh well, the vultures will have." He ridiculed in a voice tinged with an ironic sympathy. Thereafter, the wind hissed icily as if he was reproached by karma to speak about the man like that as if they had never shared a "bit" of relationship, a superior-inferior relationship in particular; hence, his brows twitched, muscles had tensed up, from the likely sting even it set for seconds. The slow heavy pace he still continued without any choice, passing through the flooding bushes and rid it with the other hand, and in consequence, received scratches from the riled twigs; his pale face unexceptionable.

In a matter of minutes, he finally reached the falls then slumped underneath the nearest tree that he even clung earlier for support; head bended downwards and the straw hat fell as well in accordance. He was resting and still would-be unnoticed behind the bushes, which were still more or less near the fall.

He was wasted, drained and all he needed was to rest. A long rest. In addition, it would be better if blood would prevent from deliberately streaming out from his open wound. Wishful it would clot sooner or later. "To settle a score." For a short span of time, that man just proved he was worth something to be fairly entertained by the Akatsuki, he considered as he looked at his calloused hand with fresh blood, more or less to dry. With that thought he polished, inclined his head upwards without haste but unhurried.

Chaste crystal water leapt from the short hill blissfully and her rhythm was abstractly done. With the help of the gleaming moon, it glazed the trace of constant leaps of droplets as it dashed the surface and bounced back in a turn of showering diamonds sparkling glamorously and luxuriously, and be more than pleased in gathering them and splash it in the face in a surreal predilection of owning such wealth. A reflection it was to the sky akin to a mirror, and like the earth and the heavens met in one horizon. It was a wonder. A wonder how it was impeccably cleanse, otherwise pure, as if whoever witnessed it would be cleansed as well. The ambience was none other than soothing for such a broken soul and tranquil for an isolated and desolated man. Relaxing the feeling it was, and he felt better compared before. This place was almost close to heaven, he must've deemed.

He looked at his hand. The convicted blood fled from him, gaining its freeway and through the surface that mingled with dirt. He was leaving more traces. Too bad for him.

Out of nowhere, there was an upsurge as if a massive thing hit the surface of the glassy stream. Aah… His sense was getting inefficient and it was really pathetic to think if he could still escape the wrath of the nins of Konoha. Except if there was a miracle. "Hn." It was out of his character to believe such things that man chose and ought to think about underlying by a reverie without basis to certain facts. However, this time, it had changed… for a delusional man like him. Blame the lost of blood. No, blame the motherfucker who did it.

His vision was of blur though he was trying to focus. As the sparkled droplets flew and caught their momentum in a freefall, it fell in a trajectory and outlined a big sphere and on that certain space there was a thing… something was in there. He was beginning to think that his eyes might be tricking him though he was just meters away. With eager eyes, he looked very well, still trying to focus with his condition, and then, there he alleged "that something" was a "someone" at the completion of the light rainfall.

'A woman.' He assumed after the silhouette formed, deciphered by the moon that passed as well its radiance over the woman as her white complexion adorned with bright. Her short hair glistened as black as midnight sky and framed her face, her eyes were still close. He closed his eyes as well; his face was expressionless as he endured his poor state.

Did she descend from heaven to earth? It was as if the water followed and bowed in humble respect as if they worshipped her and soon found their calmness beneath her. The breeze glided again with fallen leaves on the way it traverse and for seconds, abandoned them over the stream. Her feet touched the surface like she was as light as the leaves.

Her eyes were tinted with the lightest touch of purple that it which gave an impression of naïveté, innocence. She wore a black skirt reaching her mid thigh, which was covered with a white binding fabric over it, and a fitted sleeveless shirt with a fishnet material (common for ninja outfits) that bared approximately half of her chest. She leaned a right foot forward, half step, and glided both of her hands through the air gracefully like her arms were creating its own dance.

For the next moment as he opened his eyes, he felt dizzy though his head leaned over the wood. Have the world revolved all around him? Maybe, this was what they call vertigo.

There was a rustle behind the bushes three feet away from his restless location. He felt only a little presence so he alleged that it was some sort of rabbit. And so, he was correct. It jumped towards the stream to drink and the actions it did was alarming for the lady.

"Who's there?" She had abruptly stopped and stood straight, concentrating and feeling the presence of danger. Her two teammates were sleeping, she assured as she left the tent, so there was no way that they easily got here. Anyhow, she calmed herself and took a deep breath. "Byakugan!" She whispered through the moist air. Varicose veins popped along her previously mild eyes, altering to a deadly spectacle.

Her eyes dangerously scanned the wide vicinity. North, south, west, the result was nothing yet the east… there was a cute rabbit with white furs like cotton that popped out from the bushes. 'That's it!' She was laid-back, however, there was a figure two feet away from the rabbit and thirteen feet away from her. The figure was probably a man with long hair in a black cloak who was clutching firmly underneath his right rib and there was… blood. She blinked. Blood. The next time she opened her eyes, it returned to its normal state.

Oh, that sight was pitiable nonetheless. A lone man with an open wound that made him restless. She was sympathetic. Lifting her foot and then the other, she walked slowly yet surely on the water. She was a medic-in-training under the Hokage's apprentice and love of his love-of-her-life, Haruno Sakura. There was a newly laid order amongst the three-team-members or any group in a mission to have at least one medic to offer assistance. She was one of those newly trainees under the certain decree. Her teammate, Kiba and Shino, had instigated her to do so. On the other hand, she would still pursue being a jounin while enjoying being a soon-to-be medic.

Solace caused contemplation. He finally regained his normal breathing though his head felt badly.

Everything was winding up again. Death was a fitful return for betrayal. 'Atrocity.' That word was he, in the sense of every people. He referred to the word itself. What did he felt? The feeling he had was nothing for… no one. None at all. Had sadness suppressed him? They had suppressed him. Sadness might be the sole feeling he was capable of. Whatever it was, this would be not his end until his little brother had executed the last line. His free hand touched a stone on the ground. This would help.

The bushes flooding his miserable sight drought out as she rifted it down. "What happened?" Her voice was not at all little but meek as she asked, tinted with anxiety. Such a poor state she saw. She knelt down in front of him and asked him again, "What happened?" There was no reaction. He did not open an eye nor uttered a word nor shook his head sideways in response of disappointment. His black tresses concealed his inexpressive façade.

She instead just concentrated her chakra and didn't bother to ask him for more. Yes, she was confused of what had happened to him but she was initiated by her soft heart to help the weak because she was weak herself. It was not about the position, being a princess of their clan nor a nin of her beloved country nor a successful medic; she wanted to prove herself to the world, of what she could really do and foremost, to help, not because she wanted to be recognized or to be gratified, it was because she was happy when she was of help. Maybe, it was something innate to her personality or maybe, it was a passion.

As she touched his firm hand, he opened his eyes, void eyes. "Don't worry. I'll mend your open wound." She gave out a sincere smile to assure him that she came to help. She placed aside his weak arm then opened his cloak to examine his wound. "Gomenasai but I need a close examination." She said. There was still no reaction and performed it.

Maybe, it would be better if he would hit it in her temple for an immense impact, he was intending while the subject was unaware. Anyway, he would make it fast though. But before he performed it, he declared, "I'm a missing nin" with an empty impression.

Until, his impassive eyes encountered hers. He attained something, something unlikely he couldn't describe because this thing he never felt before. "You need enough rest to completely recover." Was she deaf? Or decided to be deaf? The innocence she emitted, penetrated in his being whilst the blue chakra recuperated his grazed skin, preventing more lost of blood.

She finished successfully in closing the wound before she answered. She recognized him as one in the first place. But…. Wasn't a medic's duty was to aid? "Tell me, what's the purpose of knowledge if she can't employ it?"

"Aiding an adversary… you're committing treason to your country."

"To help is a crime?" Eyes probing. Then she picked something from her pocket. A cloth. "I don't believe that." With that, she smiled. When did he last admire such a smile? She stroked the clean cloth to wipe off the dirt formed in his still expressionless face.

"It never slipped in my mind that an angel will lay an eye on me." He said in a melancholic tune as if he wasn't an upright to be in front of her presence. He couldn't make himself to thrust this being and the stone fell from his hand, producing a thud sound as it hit the ground.

Authoress Notes:

Oh. Itachi is quite OOC, no doubt about it cos I really don't have a big background about him and I just feel like to partner him with Hinata cos my sis keeps bugging me of how so great Itachi is. And oh yeah, I'm really limited with Hinata's profile. Anyway, more Hinata fics coming… I'll wave the flag "We love Hinata! I hate SUCKur… A?" Damn it! I feel nauseous…


	2. Chapter 2

Slow Spinning Redemption 

Summary: With an innate soft heart, she aided an adversary. He was cynical, believing "The end justify the means." How can she reply back that what he believed don't justify her means? ItachiHinata

Disclaimer: If I own Naruto… probably, I won't be writing a fic.

Authoress Notes: Sorry for the Looooooooong Wait! And sorry if there are words that I mixed up with another word which I know a very big mistake that I made but bear with me since I'm not **beta**-ed. Yes, I got this phrase from Dashboard Confessional's Vindicated. Yay! I love the band! And I know you do so, ne? And I've got the widest range of infos about Hinata and Itachi! Hurrah! And purple1's fic 'Dead Butterflies' always motivates me to continue writing. I like her metaphoric ending. Ugh! I really like Angst like I wanted to call myself angst-mistress (but that sounds terrible)!!! And so do you, ne? Hopefully… Just ignore this crap. On with the story!

Chapter II: Another Prospective 

He gradually opened his eyes. There were flickers from the soaring embers turning into a dust he witnessed through haziness until it got focused. Underneath it was his black cloak hanging on a branch, washed and unstained, dried along the heat. Furthermore, the scenery were from before, flooded trees and bushes surrounding and the firmament was still dark, the sun seemed to appear that it didn't like to show up. 'Where am I?' He always liked to gather thoughts solely for himself. Twisting his head a little from the left, he met a pair of purplish orbs glistening through the night, soft as she rested her sight unto him.

"You're finally awake." She was sitting on her slanted legs next to his pathetic state. "Enough rest and you'll recover sooner. I had closed the wound but it doesn't mean that it has completely mended." There was a fabric on her hand that she soon lifted up, setting on his impassive façade. It was cold and damp that stroked his flesh, wiping the smears on it. The least he could expect, else the unexpected –to be touched. Nonetheless, the exterior never reacted.

"If I may ask, what had happened to you? You were wasted when I spotted you and the wound on your rib… that was not some ordinary weapon, which caused it. While, partial of your chakra didn't stream the channel well." She said meekly.

Her hands trailed upwards after his cheeks, moving the raven tresses out of his face. A leaf mark of Konoha grazed on his forehead protector likely of hers. "All men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature whenever they may find occasion for it." He spoke seeing those widened eyes as if what he answered was a fitful one that came straightforwardly to her question.

Her hand halted and clutched on her rising chest. "What do you mean?" She was more than shock and averted her eyes just not to lock with his. 'Is it I or you?' The statement he said was puzzling nevertheless.

Was that he thought about her? "In your opinion… I guess… demo…" After these, what she would do to this stranger? Surrender him to authorities? That was a probable answer. She needed not to fight this man and that was an advantage. She never liked the idea of fighting against anyone. A pacifist? Indeed.

But that wasn't really on her mind in the first place, for the first time she caught of his sight. What was all running along her head was…to help. "Don't…" She halt like 'was this a good idea' she asked herself, like what she would say would still be contemplated? "Misunderstand me." She composed herself, turned her back and left, leaving the man with his prized silence.

The sun had not yet fully stretched his boastful rays as she moved along. As she strolled amidst the rifting bushes she passed on, a shrub of wild berries she familiarly spotted. She knew it by face but not by name. Through Shino, she had been aware of what was edible, poisonous and the not. The foliage rasping in accordance as she moved towards then knelt down. Those were like of plums and of colors of mauve appealing to the sense of sight. She picked one and bit some. It tasted sweet yet somehow sour. 'This is perfect'. She pulled out several then returned. Her lips curved into a smile. 'He might be hungry.' She would catch some fish after –she decided.

Upon returning, his eyes were closed and had a normal breathing, still lying and her gray coat was folded underneath his head like a pillow. He was asleep. The bonfire was already left cold. She bended over soundlessly to place down the berries on the hollow part of his straw hat next to him. Then, that was the time she had taken a good look at the stranger he aided. His face was a canvass of nothing in stillness but she had felt a feeling of grief and sorrow encasing him. It was more than meets the eye.

Through closed eyes he asked, lips parting to speak. "You should've left me." Surprise and shock mingle while heat reached her cheeks that were left unnoticed by him. "Naze?" His voice was low in tone.

"Because…" Her mouth agape but she tried to answer, a truthful answer coming from her heart. "I can barely watch a wounded man." It came out plainly.

Of crows his eyes as soon as he tilted his head and stared deeply at hers, yearning to find out the intentions further than truth. "Sou ka?" Either way, he won't fall to a foolish trap he considered as one. However, a fool could answer foolishly yet somehow honestly. Whatever it was, he hissed, "The end justifies the means."

"I'll come back later." She stood and left once more. He needed rest rather than someone who could cure the sickness he wrapped himself around. 'The end don't justify the means.'

The birds greeted, humming along, singing and playing a blithe tempo, restless and free as she approached the fall thoroughgoing. A smile sketched on her visage. Some birds flew a little on the verge of her presence, curious about the maiden. As the water reflected her, she wasn't surprised at all. Her hair was messy and a twig had jammed in and mire was stuck on her legs. She had been busy right from the start, day and night. Maybe she should need a bath, she felt dirty anyhow.

The sun had slowly peeped in as she undressed and dumped her clothes in a pile. The trees and boulders had helped her to ease her uneasiness of bathing outside home. She descended, sinking on the surface.

Enjoying the abundance, she swam back and forth yet still her body was submerged, concealed. After a while, she cupped water on her delicate hands, which reflected the sky on top of her. The sky was all azure and thin. Then she splashed it into her face, feeling the pleasant coldness that stroked her face, giving her a feeling of delight shown in her curved lips.

At that moment, there were rustles she heard that made her to halt, sensing someone was watching her. 'Byakugan!' Her dangerous eyes were levitated to look for intruders. This was an unfortunate time. The fall agitated the stream and she was amidst it so she swam gradually boulder-to-boulder to hide her bareness until she could reach her clothes.

"OH! You're a disgrace for Konoha, ero-sennin!" She swung her head, hearing that familiar voice. "OI! Stop looking at her!"

"Stop it, you annoying bug!" The man's voice was comparably larger and taking it into account, he was irritated as being pushed. "If I know you love watching as well! So shut up as I gain another data!" Then, a grin. "This will make my book a best-seller!"

"OI HINATA! THERE'S A DIRTY OLD MAN WATCHING YOU!!!"

"I said stop it!" And then two men popped out from the bushes, rolling, squeezing and pinching each other's heads.

In a swift, she hugged a boulder and her eyes turned normal accompanied with shock as heat rushed over her cheek. "Jiraiya-sama… Na—Naruto?" She blinked. The certain one blinked as well. This was too embarrassing to see him with this situation. "What are you doing here?" She blurted out with eyes abruptly shut. Thinking wasn't an option in this kind of circumstance –being witnessed by the man you loved since eight. Her eyes were shifting side by side just not to get locked with his sapphires.

"Well, I—uhm…" The blonde averted his eyes out of her and instead looked up at the sky. Scratching his scarred cheek, he stuttered, "We—II… Weee are—"

The wind tossed back the man's odd white mane out of his face. His face was serious while his eyes were curved, resting down on the sole woman while a drool slipped from his mouth, which was ajar. "Alright! I'll say it instead." He took a step forward and another step until he was at the end of the line from the stream. "There was a missing nin on the run. He was probably still on our territory with his wretched condition. So be careful lady. I prefer you to get back home." With that, he finished but still writing something on his little notebook. He did not care even if his nose was bleeding.

"OI QUIT THAT!" The lad kicked the grinning Jiraiya's butt to move along. He yelled with closed eyes, almost an earsplitting speech, "We need to find him before all is lost!" then pulled the sannin, who was constantly complaining "Wait I'm not yet finished!" which echoed along the forest. "If you found a black cladded man, knock him down and be quick to get back home! He's dangerous and remorseless as he is!" He shouted as he waved a hand and the other, grabbing his mentor, and jumped tree to tree away from her.

"Oi! Tell me, do you have something for her?" Jiraiya shoved Naruto's hand and composed himself onto a sturdy branch as he asked.

The shorter one was then caught in silence, speechless with the question as if it was more than a Math question to think about. Seconds after, he had replied. "She's a friend." And without any signal, he leapt all of a sudden, and the man smirked like he knew what this would be in the end.

She returned. Tints of red onto her cheeks were still noticeable. Five fishes were pierced through shoots of a branch she held on her left hand. He had been awake and alarmed therefore he knew that the nins came, continuing to hunt for his head. "Jiraiya gets lost whenever he is exhibited with his weakness. Thus, you had not given a chance to speak about the stranger you aided." He had been able to sit up straight, leaning his back on a tree.

He had grabbed and wore the cloak from its post while the katana was not at all spotted next to the hat. The only unexploited was what she exploited from him –the hat which she settled some. The berries weren't touched at all. Completely untouched and like before since she left and bathe. She was beginning to think that this man could barely trust someone. She expected this. It was expectable because trust was the hardest thing to gain from somebody. However, she never anticipated or so. She never did. Hers was all but assistance. Nothing more, nothing less. This was something she should not tell him about, to explain and elaborate like it would be relevant for his essence and as if he would believe her.

On the other hand, if she had told Jiraiya-sama and Naruto about him, there was a tendency he would fight and they would fight even behind his poor situation. The sole answer was to fight. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth –this was what many men believed in.

She instead moved towards the pile of ashes and coaled logs, rekindling the bonfire. He then concluded that what he thought was right. Wasn't silence meant yes? If it was, he gripped the hold of his katana, ready to unsheathe and slid it in her throat if she makes a wrong move. But… why was he waiting for her answer? It turned out that what she would say was significant for him. 'Iie.' But why? He killed all those who were related to him therefore he had no one to care about and no one cared about him but this woman… what did she do to make him feel this?

She then stood after thrusting the sticks with individual fishes on the soil, to be blazed and cooked over. "I hope we'll meet someday, somehow… not as adversaries but as mere acquaintances." She faced him with natural grace.

"Sayonara." A smile she lastly imparted before turning her back on his stern features. And that was the most delightful thing he ever received from someone in his damned life.

Authoress Notes:

Hey, see that underlined statement of Itachi? Actually that's Niccolo Machiavelli's! Great isn't it? à what I meant about that was still the phrase. And ohthis is the end. Quite abrupt but I decided that that's all I will likely to squeeze in my brain since I made this an OOC. Actually this is almost oneshot if not for this second chappie –Just around midnight until morn, it's not even called a day.


End file.
